I'm Fine
by legolasgreenleaf15
Summary: 'If I passed by him now, I'd never know the answers to my questions. The more sensible part of me told me to keep going, to not meddle in things I shouldn't, but those thoughts didn't get me answers. Clearing my throat gently, I shifted my head in order to face him. "Excuse me, but are you feeling alright?"' Pre-Fellowship. AU. Rated T since I'm paranoid. NOT a Legolas/OC romance
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Hello all! Welcome to my new story! Since I didn't exactly give the greatest summary in the world, I'll give you a better idea. The main character is a servant to King Thranduil, and she notices that Legolas has been acting strangely. Is he as okay as he says he is, or is there something bothering the Prince? This isn't going to have any romance (I was in an angsty Legolas mood).**

**Though, I do have one request here. I don't like asking people for reviews (yet here I am), BUT I would appreciate your honest opinions here so I can prove to a friend that this is a terrible plot idea (they were insisting that it was cool, but I'm not convinced).**

**So, please take a few seconds to let me know what you think, since your responses could prove my point (or disprove it), and I might continue upon the chance someone likes it. I know, I'm totally making it inviting to read.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Lord of the Rings.**

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Chapter 1

"Thanneth! Those tunics will not fold themselves!" Braigves hissed from her position beside me.

I blinked once, my limbs moving suddenly. "Of course. Forgive me, I was merely thinking."

"Just get back to work," she sighed, her dark brown hair falling over her shoulders, blocking her face from my view. Her tall, lithe frame relaxed when another sigh escaped from her lips.

I thought it best to heed to her words. If I didn't start folding the pile of clean tunics in front of me, then they'd begin to wrinkle, and the guards were never happy when that happened. It was never fun to hear my father briefly tell me about it before leaving as suddenly as he'd appeared.

I winced slightly at the mention of my father. We didn't have a bad relationship, I just felt like I never got to see him, or my mother, often, yet it was unfair of me to feel that way. My father was a guard, and without him, King Thranduil's court would have one less defender. My mother was a handmaiden to the King's daughter, Miniel. I wasn't sure why, but as of late, my mother seemed to be unusually busy.

Reaching out to the nearest tunic, I snuck a small glance up at the other of the two wooden tables in the room. Meluines, a gentle spirit who was my age, was explaining to Torien, a younger elleth who had recently started working with us, how to get the wrinkles out of various clothes, since Torien had left her pile sit for a prolonged amount of time.

Wrinkles. That's what would soon cover the fabrics of my pile if I didn't begin to fold. Beside me, Braigves cleared her throat, causing me to look into her eyes. Her clear green eyes met my grey ones, and with a raising of her eyebrows, I returned to my work.

When the pile of clothes in front of me had been reduced to a stack half its size, Braigves turned from our shared table to place something on the counter behind us. Acting absorbed in my work, I slowly finished folding the tunic in front of me, waiting for Braigves to turn around again. After I had folded another tunic, she turned, holding a stack of clean clothes in her arms. The older she-elf gave me a look, thrusting the clothes into my arms. "Take these up to the guards."

Nodding to show I understood, I abandoned my pile, hoping she would finish it for me, and gathered the load in my arms, walking from the table to the stairs across the small room. With my right hand, I held the clothes fast to my chest as I started my ascent.

Turning to the left, I walked quietly down the hall, savoring the sweet scent of the clean clothes. They never came to us smelling as fresh as they did when they left, and the fabrics were always so soft when they were returned. If it were up to me, I wouldn't have let the guards ruin such a sweet scent, but that was an irrational thing to think.

I came to the end of the first corridor, then turned right, walking past one of the waterfalls. Its dull murmur grew louder as I drew nearer to it, and I could feel a few drops of stray water land on my arms. After noticing that the clothes were also getting a little wet, I moved to the other side of the path.

At the end of the corridor was the door to one of the guard's quarters. As I drew closer to it, my pulse quickened. I was nearing the end of my task, and that meant I was going to be stuck in the workroom again. The workroom wasn't a bad place, but the work was repetitive and the air felt crowded. Up in the main floor, it was like I could breath easier.

The wooden door leading to the guard's quarters now stood before me, and I balanced my load on one arm to free one of my hands, raising it to knock on the smooth surface. My knuckles tapped the wood softly, and the sound resonated around me. I could hear footsteps on the other side of the door, so I adjusted the bundle in my arms. When the door opened, I saw Maendir's rougher face in the doorway. He raised an eyebrow when he looked at my arms, and kept it raised when his eyes refocused on my face. With a small smile, I handed him the clothes, then nodded before backing away from the door. I could hear his sigh before he shut the door behind him.

Something behind me stopped me from turning around. As I kept listening, I thought it sounded like someone breathing heavily, but to the point where it was almost like they were trying to control their breaths. Were they running from something, or was it something else? Whatever the reason was, I hoped whomever it was would leave before I saw them.

Finding the ability to turn, I moved slowly, then noticed the sound stopped immediately. That confused me at first, until I saw who was in the hallway with me. It was the Prince, and he didn't look panicked or out of breath. He was casually looking down at the level below us, maintaining a collected composure.

Questions flew into my head as I took in the sight. What was Prince Legolas doing here? Was he going to visit the guards? Where did the noise go? Was the Prince the one making the noise? Did he stop when he saw me?

One realization came to me as I continued to stare at the Prince. I would need to pass by him in order to get back to the workroom. With a deep breath, I walked closer to where he stood. Luckily for me, he didn't look up, even when I drew within an arm's length away. Hopefully, I could pass him without anything happening.

Yet, there were those questions I had earlier. If I passed by him now, I'd never know the answers to them. The more sensible part of me told me to keep going, to not meddle in things I shouldn't, but those thoughts didn't get me answers. My brain screamed that it was overstepping my bounds, but my body seemed to act on its own accord. Clearing my throat gently, I shifted my head in order to face him. "Excuse me, but are you feeling alright?" Legolas turned his head in my direction, and looked at me strangely. Immediately, I realized my mistake and quickly took it back. "Forgive me, that was personal. Please forget that I said anything."

I moved to turn around again, but his voice stopped me. "You're quite alright. I've never been better." He gave me a small smile, then turned to look back at the life below us.

Completing my turn, I tried to make myself believe him, but things weren't adding up. Unless the Prince enjoyed spontaneously breathing like a Dwarf, which was unlikely given the tensions between our races, then he wasn't telling me the truth.

I also had to consider the fact that it wasn't like the Prince was just going to open himself up like that to a lowly servant. Besides, who was I to ask about his personal life? Sometimes, I just needed to keep my mouth shut. There was a fine line dividing the things I was allowed to ask about, and the things that were unacceptable for me to even think about. It was about time I found that line.

Before going into the next hallway, I turned to look back into the hall I was leaving. A look of confusion spread over my face. The Prince was nowhere to be seen.

Turning back to my course, I couldn't shake the feeling that Prince Legolas wasn't perfectly fine. There was something he was hiding, and I didn't think it was anything good, but I couldn't stop to think about him, since Braigves wouldn't be pleased if I delayed any longer. It was extremely hard to push something as confusing as the Prince out of my head, but by the time I had reached the entrance to the workroom, only a few more questions came to my mind. Would Braigves be angry with me, since I had never taken this long on a delivery trip before? What was bothering Legolas? Was it something I should be really concerned with, or not?

I couldn't think much longer, since Braigves's voice travelled up to my ears. "Thanneth! What took so long?"

With a heavy sigh, I travelled down to meet her. "Well, no one came to the door when I knocked, so I waited for a little, then tried again." The lie stung as it rolled out of my mouth, but Braigves seemed to fall for it.

"At least you're here now," she replied from the other side of the room. Her eyes never strayed from her work. Walking over to her side, I began to help her fold the new pile of clothes on the table before her. Despite my best efforts, the scene with the Prince never did leave my mind.

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**AN: The grammar probably isn't the best, and I don't think there is much description, but hey, if you all like it, I'll make it better (unless you like it as it is), and probably continue it. Please let me know what you think! Thank you kindly, and have a wonderful New Year (and a Merry late Christmas)!**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: It's been a few months... I was going to post this like a month ago, but June didn't really go the way I thought it would, so my plans got a little delayed. My plan as of now is to hopefully finish up either Lost or this one by September (now let's all cross our fingers and pray the Writer's Block away), then get a good chunk out of the other one. As for me, I'm perfectly fine, it's just June went by differently than I thought.**

**A Diamond in the Rough - Same here... Thank you!**

**Doctor Legolas - Hey! Hopefully about 6-7 months isn't too late (*smiles sheepishly and hides*)... Sorry about the wait. Thanks! :D**

**TJTwigg - Thank you!**

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Chapter 2

Days, which quickly turned into weeks, passed, and I hadn't seen the Prince since the encounter on the bridge. In the earliest days that followed, his strangeness was always at the forefront of my mind, yet as the weeks dragged on, I started to think of him less and less. Instead of crossing my mind every few minutes, he only came to my mind every few days. It slowly seemed like I was beginning to listen to the side of me that told me to keep my head low, to not meddle in things that weren't my business. The side that was less likely to bring me trouble.

For those weeks, my days were filled with the monotony of clothing, folding each tunic with such painstaking precision, stacking folded cloak after folded cloak, delivering stack after stack to their rightful owners only to get an armful back to clean again. Luckily, my trips out of the workroom seemed to increase, so it felt like I had more opportunities to stretch my legs.

At the moment, I was stuck in the back at the water basin, rinsing more clothing while the skin of my fingers began to wrinkle. Torien had taken up my spot beside Braigves, sorting through some dirty laundry quietly. Meluines was at my side, wringing out everything I handed to her. She didn't say anything to me, but it wasn't unusual for her. Even when Braigves left the workroom, she rarely said a word.

A still, focused silence hung in the air, until the sound of tearing fabric and a tight gasp pulled me from my work. As I turned to see what was going on, the sound of metal clattering on the ground reached my ears. Torien was leaned against the table, gripping her right forearm, staring at the torn pants at her feet. Her mouth was open, but it wasn't from pain. Shock was written across her features. Beside me, Meluines stiffened as she took in the same sight.

Surprisingly, Torien was the first to speak, "I'm sorry, Braigves! I didn't know there was a knife in there. I know, I should have known. This is all my fault." Hanging her head, she moved to grab the tattered and bloodied clothing at her feet, but then winced, gripping her arm tighter.

Braigves clicked her tongue. "There's nothing to apologize for. The guards must have accidentally grabbed it when they gave us this load. Now, we're going to go bandage that arm before anything else gets bloodied. Come." Looking up at Meluines and me, Braigves said, "Don't bother mending those pants, because they were fraying and would have been replaced soon. But clean up the blood after you get done rinsing. I don't want any clothes falling into it." With that, Braigves led Torien up the stairs, some stray droplets of blood landing on the ground, marking their path.

Turning back to the basin, I stiffly started rinsing again. Who would have forgotten a knife in a pile of clothes?

As if she was reading my thoughts, Meluines murmured, "Maybe they didn't forget about it."

"What are you suggesting?" I asked, astonished.

Shrugging slightly, she never lifted her eyes from her work. "I don't know, but I doubt any of the guards would just forget about one of their blades." As logical as that was, I couldn't stomach the idea of what I thought she was trying to suggest. Never breaking her rhythm, she added. "We shouldn't discuss this any further. It's not our business."

_It is when someone who works beside us was injured because of it!_ I thought, but held my tongue, because Meluines was right. Discussing it further wouldn't help anything, and would only lead to trouble.

_Stay out of trouble. Just keep your head low._

Minutes passed, and the amount of clothes in the basin gradually decreased in number until there was only some ice cold water left lapping against the sides. Meluines grabbed a piece of cloth out of her apron, and dipped it in the basin. Nodding to the knife, she murmured, "Clean it. You've probably had more experience than I have, and we don't need another injury."

That was true. About a year before I began to work as a servant, my father showed me how to clean his pair of knives, insisting that I learned to clean something the proper way before leaving to work. Before I could remember anything more, I gave my head a slight shake, stifling a wince. Reaching into my own apron, I grabbed my own piece of cloth, and picked up the knife by its hilt.

Apart from the dark red line of blood on the blade, nothing else was wrong with the knife, which confused me. Why would anyone discard a perfectly good knife? My head swimming with questions, I dipped the blade into the water, wiping Torien's blood from the metal. What lay underneath made me freeze.

Behind me, Meluines murmured, "I'm going to go throw these pants away. I'll be right back."

Without turning, I gave her a stiff nod, unable to come to terms with what I had found. There were small, sweeping laces of leaves decorating the top part of the blade. When I had looked at my father's knives, they weren't decorated, and their hilts were a dark brown. The hilt in my hand was more of a light gold to brown color. This was not a regular guard's knife.

Moving from the basin, I quickly dried the knife, wrapped it in cloth, then slipped it into the pocket of my apron.

_Stay out of trouble._

Not at a moment like this, I couldn't. The meeting on the bridge came flooding back to me, and one particular detail stuck out in my mind. The Prince was missing a knife, but unfortunately, I couldn't remember the color of the hilt. Having nothing but a wild assumption in mind, I took a deep breath, then got on my knees and dried the floor Meluines had just washed. I could feel the bulky cloth brushing my legs through my apron, and it felt completely wrong. It felt like trouble. But if I wanted answers from that day, then this knife was my only shot, even if it wasn't my business. Even if I shouldn't be the one to handle the return of the knife.

After drying the floor, I stood, wiping a stray hair from my face. Looking at the work in front of me, I took up Torien's spot at the table, mostly to give myself something to do while I waited for the others to arrive. I started to lose myself in the peace of the work, but after remembering that it was this very pile that the knife came from, I slowed, checking each item for any other weapons.

By the time Meluines returned, I had finished Torien's pile and started one of my own. Silently, she took up a spot beside me. To my surprise, she didn't ask what I did with the knife.

Braigves returned soon after, and said, "She's fine, but she won't return for a few days." The minutes went by, and the three of us fell back into a silent harmony. Nothing was said about the knife, which came as a slow relief to me. I didn't want to pass this opportunity for answers up.

Yet, I was a lowly servant girl. The Prince wouldn't spill his story before me, not when some other servants had a tendency to gossip a little. Besides, he probably wouldn't remember me. Even if he did remember me, he definitely wouldn't trust me. There was no way he'd tell me anything, except a thanks for his knife, if it even was his knife.

Looking up, I noticed Meluines studying my face. We made eye contact for a second before she dropped her eyes and returned to work.

My pulse quickened. Was she going to say something? Trying not to appear edgy, I swallowed quietly and buried my head again. A moment passed, then another, and Meluines said nothing. Slowly, I allowed my eyes to lift again. Meluines was looking at me again, but this time, she raised her eyebrows slightly. Willing my face into neutrality, I looked back down at my work, fighting my racing heart.

The knife grew heavier in my apron.

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**AN: I will admit, I didn't have much time to edit this one (but I shouldn't use that as an excuse for how good/bad it turned out), so if you see anything wrong with it, please let me know. Also, if you've got anything you want to see in later chapters, let me know, because the only thing I've got for this one is the next chapter :/**

**Thanks guys!**


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Hey... It's been a long time. I know I had a goal, but that kind of didn't end up happening (so much for my self motivation)... Well, at least this is proof that I'm still alive... I did get kind of busy (busier than expected actually), but that's not a good excuse for however long it's been (since I don't know, nor do I really want to know because it'll probably just make me feel bad). So, I don't know how good this one is (it's been a while, but like before, that's a bad excuse). Yeah, sorry guys...**

**Guest - Thank you! I was kind of torn between no romance and romance, but went with no romance... No idea if I've said that elsewhere... Regardless, I felt like no romance would be a slightly better way to go, though romance would probably make the plot easier... Heh... I hope this isn't, uh, *cough* too late?**

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Chapter 3

I knew what I was going to do, but I also knew I ran the risk of getting caught and being punished. It was unacceptable to walk to the Prince's chambers in the middle of a night with a weapon in tow, or to even seek out the Prince's council in general. My stomach knotting, I rolled over in bed, feeling the mix of cool metal and smooth rope brush against the skin of my thigh beneath my nightclothes.

If I expected to walk out and visit the Prince in nothing but my nightclothes, I would be called indecent, but at the same time, it would look less suspicious. The guards would be more likely to ask more questions if I were dressed in all black. In my nightclothes, I could at least claim I needed some fresh air.

Unable to handle the weight of my plan anymore, I threw back my blankets, placing my bare feet on the ground, and stood, feeling the hem of my nightgown brushing the top of my knee. Lightly creeping over to the entrance to my small chambers, I opened the door, slipping out into the dark corridor. I wasn't sure what I expected to find behind the door, but there should have been at least someone. However, as I looked up and down the hall, seeing no one, I couldn't help but feel a small burst of reassurance.

Heading left, I clung to the right wall enough to avoid being easily noticed, but was close enough to the center of the hall to avoid suspicion. I didn't want it to become obvious I was sneaking around the castle at night, but I also didn't want to give myself away. Especially when I carried a blade that wasn't my own.

The word 'thief' came to mind, and all at once, I was painfully aware that what I was doing looked rather suspicious. I was alone at night. I had a weapon that wasn't mine. Trying not to panic, I fought to keep my breathing even. All I could hope for was an unnoticed passage there and back.

The end of the corridor drew closer, but along with it came a pair of hushed voices, both getting louder. My stomach dropping, I raced to hide behind the nearest pillar. Through my fear, I could hear a piece of their conversation.

"...been acting unlike himself," the first elf, a male, said.

The other elf, a female this time, responded, "Leave this be. It's not our place."

The male didn't pay her any attention, "He's starting to worry me. I've never seen that look in his eyes before."

"I told you, we aren't to discuss what we've seen," The female hissed. "We should just leave this entire thing alone."

That didn't satisfy him. "We can't just leave-"

"Yes we can, and we will." Her tone sharpened significantly. "Come, we shouldn't linger."

To my surprise, the male didn't argue. Gradually, they went on their way in silence, leaving me free to continue about my way.

Curling my body around the pillar, I looked around to be sure no one was coming. When I didn't see anything, I crept out, took a deep breath, then ran the last few corridors before nearing the Prince's rooms. Slowing my pace to a walk, I made sure no one was coming before approaching his door. Lifting my hand, I knocked twice, wincing at the sound. It appeared to be dreadfully loud compared to the relative silence I had experienced on my way over.

Nothing happened for a few heavy moments. Fear rumbled in my stomach, and I thought about leaving this entire thing alone. No one, save for myself, knew I had come, and it would stay like that if I left now. Turning my back, I began to walk away, but a hand gripped my wrist. Stiffening, I stifled a gasp as they turned me around. Lifting my eyes slowly, I met the fierce gaze of the Prince.

"What is your business here?" His tone, which was coldly hostile, wasn't what surprised me the most. The skin around his eyes was slightly puffy, as if he'd been crying. At my poor response time, he went on to threaten, "Speak. If you do not, then I will take you to my father, something I guarantee you will not appreciate."

Stammering, I managed to get out, "Uh, k-knife." With my free hand, I lifted the hem of my dress to reveal the tip of the metal resting just above my knee. Looking down, he noticed the knife, then looked back up at my face, his eyes revealing nothing. I swallowed, then went on, "Is it yours?"

Breaking eye contact once more, he looked down the hall, then pulled me into his room, shutting the door swiftly behind us. "How did you come by this?"

"It was with a pile of laundry." The look of anger in his eyes did not make me feel safe. For a moment, I considered it lucky I was the armed one, then I figured it would hinder me more than help. "I work with the laundry, and it fell out and cut the arm of one my companions."

"Why did you not give it to the senior servant?" His tone was growing less hostile and more accusatory. Did he think I was going to murder him? If that had been my plan, I wouldn't have knocked.

Freeing my wrist gently, I began to untie the blade from my leg. "She took my companion to the healers and did not return until later. I took it upon myself to have it taken care of." When it was free, I held it out to him. "Is this yours?"

Taking it in his hands, he looked it over. I didn't think he'd say anything, but to my eventual surprise, he muttered, "It is." Looking up at me, a little confusion crept upon his features. "How did you know it was mine?"

"We met on the bridge a couple of weeks ago, and you were missing a knife then. I wasn't sure if it had been yours, but I knew an ordinary guard would have no knife like the one in your hands." Clasping my hands behind my back, I held the rope tightly between my fingers, running my thumb against its fibers.

His eyes went back to the weapon in his hand, and for a second, I wasn't convinced he wouldn't use it on me. Tracing a finger against the flat of the blade, he murmured, "Thank you for returning it, but you best be on your way." I opened my mouth to say something, but he cut in before I could say a word. "No, I am fine. There's no need to ask." Standing there awkwardly, I tried once more. His tone darkening again, he said, "Servant girl, you are dismissed."

Curtsying quickly, I let myself out, then ran back to my chambers.

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So many thoughts were swirling around in my head. Rolling onto my side, I brought my knees up to my chest, hugging them, wishing the sick feeling in my stomach would disappear. I didn't know what was going on anymore.

Who were the two guards talking about? I didn't recognize their voices, much to my displeasure, but I wasn't sure that completely mattered. Were they talking about Legolas? It had sounded like whoever they were talking about had done something to them, or had done something that they witnessed. They mentioned a look in his eyes.

What of the Prince? The look in his eyes was quite unlike himself. Remembering back to our initial meeting on the bridge, there wasn't really anything in his eyes that would signal something was off about him. He looked as though everything was normal, yet I couldn't shake the possibility of his hiding something.

Perhaps the most perplexing was the Prince's behavior to me earlier. Why was he so upset? It almost appeared as though he'd been crying, but that didn't make any sense. Why would the Prince have been crying? Maybe he was merely tired.

Nothing made sense anymore. Stretching out on my back, I sighed. It was late, and I had work in the morning. I wasn't awake enough to comprehend all of this at once. Closing my eyes, I shifted slightly, trying to get comfortable. I'd think about this again in the morning.


End file.
